NFL

Mooney and the rest of the Atlanta pass-catchers simply weren’t needed in this one as running back Bijan Robinson amassed 229 yards of offense against one of the better run defenses in the league. It was actually fill-in receiver David Sills that led the team in receiving with 37 yards on three receptions, which tells the tale of how the game was won. Mooney finishes his regular season against the surging Saints in Week 18 after a disappointing campaign.

London continued to see his playing time monitored in his second game back following a four-game absence, seeing only two targets on a night the Falcons attempted only 20 passes due to increasingly positive game script. The team built a 21-0 lead in the first half on the legs of Bijan Robinson, who accounted for 229 of the team’s 345 yards of total offense against one of the better run defenses in the league. London should remain a top 12 fantasy receiver entering the 2026 offseason.

The entire pass game was a complete afterthought as the Falcons built a 21-0 lead in the first half, with Pitts targeted on three of only 20 Kirk Cousins pass attempts. It was an unfortunate ending to a magical fantasy playoffs run for the veteran tight end, duping fantasy managers when it mattered most. Pitts is set to finish his 2025 regular season against the surging Saints in Week 18.

Robinson accounted for 229 of the team’s 345 yards of total offense on the evening, with his two first half touchdowns contributing to a 21-0 lead at the half. Those exploits included the longest rush of his career, college included, when he sprung free on an outside zone run for a 93-yard touchdown at the end of the second quarter. He would see his workload siphoned away by Tyler Allgeier after the break, as has been customary for the Falcons this season. That said, Allgeier gained only 23 yards on his 10 touches - all carries. His eight targets were also double that of any other Atlanta pass-catcher, hitting 30 opportunities for the second time in the last three games. Robinson should remain a top tier, first-round fantasy asset after finishing the 2025 regular season on an absolute tear.

Cousins largely played facilitator as the Falcons rode alpha running back Bijan Robinson to glory, aided by a defense that generated three interceptions of MVP candidate Matthew Stafford, one of which was returned for a touchdown by rookie safety Xavier Watts. 229 of the team’s 345 yards of total offense were accounted for by Robinson, leaving little for Cousins to do as the team narrowly avoided a repeat performance of their Super Bowl LI loss to the Patriots. The Falcons led 21-0 at the half, only to see the Rams roar back in the final two frames to tie the game at 24 with just over two minutes left to play. They were able to maneuver into field goal range with their two-minute offense and kicker Zane Gonzalez connected from 51 yards to give the team the victory. Cousins and the rest of the starters end their season with a home game against the red-hot Saints in Week 18.

Nacua’s touchdown came late in the fourth quarter to draw the two teams to a tie after the Falcons led 21-0 at the half. A late field goal by Atlanta kicker Zane Gonzalez stymied the comeback attempt as the Falcons avoided a repeat of their disastrous Super Bowl LI loss to the Patriots. Nacua drew lockdown coverage from lockdown corner A.J. Terrell for most of the night, narrowly overcoming it all with a would-be circus catch down the sideline with six seconds remaining that would have had the Rams in field goal range for a potential game-tying kick as time expired. It was ultimately ruled incomplete as he failed to maintain possession with one hand going to the ground. The third-year receiver doubled down on his breakout sophomore campaign and he’ll look to pad his counting stats further when the Rams take on the Cardinals to end their 2025 regular season in Week 18.

Both of Ferguson’s receptions went for chunk gains of 27 yards, with the rookie tight end cashing in on a touchdown in the third quarter to keep the Rams in the game after taking a 21-0 deficit into the half. Ferguson’s late-season breakout continues to hint at the potential for untapped upside, although his playing time is likely tied to the team’s usage of heavy personnel while playing behind established veteran Colby Parkinson, the latter of whom caught 6-of-7 targets for 53 scoreless yards in the loss.

Smith operated as the WR2 with Davante Adams out of action, a role that would have likely been far less conducive to fantasy production had the Rams not been playing from behind throughout after going down 21-0 at the half. The significantly negative game script forced the Rams away from a 12 and 13-personnel base offense, allowing for more snaps for the speedy youngster. Adams is reportedly due back to the game-day roster in Week 18, meaning Smith is likely headed back to a situational role when the Rams take on the Cardinals to end their regular season.

Williams has seen his workload curbed in recent weeks with the late-season breakout of Blake Corum, although an injury to the latter in the second quarter allowed Williams to operate as a true workhorse during the final two-plus quarters. Negative game script halted his opportunities at 16 but the established starter made the most of each one with a combined 130 yards on 16 touches. Head coach Sean McVay insisted his starters will play when they finish the regular season against the Cardinals in Week 18, although how long they remain in the game likely depends on numerous factors.

Stafford and the Rams started the game about as poorly as they could have, shut out in the first half for only the third time in head coach Sean McVay’s nine seasons in Los Angeles. The pitiful half also included two Stafford interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by rookie Xavier Watts. Watts would pick Stafford off for a second time in the second half and appeared to have returned another for a score but it was called back when he stepped out of bounds down the sideline on the return. Jared Verse helped turn the tides on the game with a blocked field goal in the third quarter that he also scooped for a special teams touchdown, but the Rams ultimately fell short on a last-minute field goal by Atlanta kicker Zane Gonzalez that halted what would have been the largest lead given up by the Falcons since Super Bowl LI when they lost in overtime to the Patriots after leading 21-0 at the half. There is a possibility that Stafford and other starters are rested in their final game of the regular season in Week 18 against the Cardinals now all but locked into the No. 6 seed in the NFC.